CONTENTS Description/Text Book Instructor Goals Outline Grading Research Proposal

Instructor: Dr. John Varriano
Office: 108 Science Bldg.
Phone: 3439 (office)     685-9551 (home)

Office Hours:
Check my posted schedule for official office hours. Feel free to come by at other times to see if I am in.

Goals:
The goals of Physics 491 & 492 are:

1. To learn how to perform and to perform theoretical and/or experimental research in some area of physics. This includes the development of the following skills: the reading of scientific sources, the synthesis of the ideas discussed in these sources into the research, the ability to organize and direct the research effort, and the ability to analyze the results of the research effort.
2. To convey the results of the research in a written report, in an oral presentation, and in a poster presentation, the three common forms of reporting research results in the physics community.
3. To prepare you for employment in the scientific industry as a research scientist or for research in graduate school.

Outline:
The purpose of this course is for you to find a suitable research topic and have, by the end of the semester, an outline of your research efforts that will be fully carried out in the following semester in Physics 492. You are primarily responsible for carrying out this search of a suitable topic and the formation of the outline. I will help guide your efforts. You should check in with me at least weekly to discuss your progress. Even though this course carries zero credit hours, a certain minimum amount of work must be done in order that your research efforts are successful in Physics 492.

You must, by the end of the semester, turn into me a written research proposal which describes your intended research topic and efforts. The research must be approved by me before you can carry it out. If you have the time and the desire, you may start the research during this semester after you have submitted your proposal and received my approval.

Grading:
Although this course has zero credit hours, you will receive a letter grade that appears on your transcript but which does not affect your grade point average. It will be determined by your written research proposal. A satisfactory proposal with an acceptable research topic will be given a "B". An outstanding proposal with some preliminary research already begun will receive an "A". A poorly written proposal with an acceptable topic will be given a "C". Failure to turn in a proposal or failure to find an approved research topic will result in an "F".

Research Proposal
The research proposal should be given a title that describes the research effort. It should follow with an introduction section describing the background of your research topic. You should then include your research plans. Be as specific as possible. You should include references. Follow the format for references found in a scientific journal such as the American Journal of Physics (in CBU library).

The written proposal should be brief, probably not more than ten pages long. I will read the proposal and return it to you as soon as possible. I will let you know if your research plans are acceptable and also give you a letter grade for the course based on the proposal. You may resubmit a proposal to earn a higher grade. For this reason, I suggest that you turn in your initial proposal at least a few weeks before the end of the semester. The last day to turn in a proposal is the last day of classes.